I worked at the "Old Gym."
Before the new Al McGuire Center was built, both basketball teams and the volleyball team practiced at the Old Gym. It was also the training facility and study hall for the other University athletes.
My job, officially, was "Campus Security Monitor." My responsibility, officially, was to sit in a booth just inside the building's entrance and check everybody's Student ID only admitting authorized students.
Unofficially: I propped both swinging doors wide open, letting everybody with a heartbeat in the building as I either listened to music or did whatever work was needed for my classes. For five hours at a time, I would get my own personal paid study hall. I might have never passed Macro Economics without that job.
It allowed me to meet the entire basketball team, including the head coach. Previously I had boasted of having multiple conversations with him. Sadly, there were only two conversations - and here they are documented in their entirety:
ME: "Good afternoon Coach."
Crean: "Thanks - you too."
ME: (nods back, smiling)
Crean: "Nice to meet you, what's your name?"
ME: "Tom."
Crean: "(smiles wide) "Good name."
ME: "Ya'got that right."
I decided to not add, "hey, 'ya'got that right' is kinda my catch phrase with my friends - I use it all the time, use it in practice if you need to."
ME: "Tough game last night Coach."
Crean: "Thanks... so you were there? [to see our overtime loss to Minnesota, which was played in the nearby Milwaukee 'Mecca' Arena - the only time the team had to play there in over ten years due to a scheduling conflict at the Bradley Center]?
ME: "(in a tone I think too enthusiastic to be said following a loss)Oh yeah."
Crean: "What did you think of that place, did you mind it? (said in a sad, almost forgiving, tone)"
ME: "I didn't mind it at all, it was kinda fresh."
Crean: "(shakes his head no)We don't like playing there, last night was just an isolated problem."
[This time I was happy that I did not add that the team missed a golden opportunity to wear throwback uniforms in the arena that was home to the 1977 National Champions]
And so ends the very pathetic "history" of my relationship with Marquette University Men's Basketball Head Coach Tom Crean.
The blog will now return to normal programming.
